Innovating Energy Despite Political Uncertainty

by Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate ChangeJune 2011

Energy is essential to human progress. Societies depend on it to maintain and improve quality of life, keep industries competitive and create jobs. But despite energy’s importance, we are not moving fast enough to make sure we can meet our future energy needs in ways that are affordable, sustainable and secure.

The status quo is not the answer. We need to move past the policy disputes of today and take bold action to build a clean-energy economy for tomorrow.

Fortunately, a handful of leading companies like GE have committed themselves to doing their part to achieve this goal. But these businesses need more certainty from government. They need to know that their investments are aligned with public policies that infl uence and shape domestic and world energy markets over time.

I am proud to see GE taking action on these issues despite today’s uncertainty and the mixed signals business is receiving from governments around the world. GE knows that transforming how we generate and consume energy is essential to protecting both the environment and our economic competitiveness. It’s time for others to follow GE’s lead so we can see dramatic growth in new clean-energy technologies in the years to come.